The present disclosure relates to a system, method, apparatus and kit for reducing thermal loss during the production of beverages.
There are numerous beverage dispensers that may benefit from the present disclosure, for example, coffee brewers, tea brewers or beverage concentrate dispensers or any other beverage dispenser that produces hot beverages.
Beverage dispensers, such as those mentioned above, require a source of hot water. Typically a hot water tank is the source of the hot water needed for producing beverages. Beverage dispensers with hot water tanks receive water from an inlet water source such as a pressurized line or a pour over fill basin, which provides unheated or under heated water. A heating device associated with the hot water tank then heats the water added.
As the water within the tank is heated it generally rises as the result of convection currents. This rise of hot water generally causes the hottest water to collect in an upper portion of the hot water tank while the colder water remains in a lower portion.
In many types of beverage producing systems, the unheated water which enters the hot water tank does so from an opening in or near a top surface of the hot water tank. The opening maybe in communication with a tube, which descends into the hot water tank from the opening and terminates near a bottom portion of the tank.
Briefly, a system, method, apparatus and kit for reducing the heat transfer surrounding a fill tube is disclosed. The apparatus includes a fitting having a flange end and a retaining end. The flange end of the fitting is attached to a water supply basin or a water supply line while the retaining end engages an insulating tube. The insulating tube is placed within a preexisting tube in a heated water tank of a beverage producing system and may be cut or otherwise adjusted to an appropriate length. The insulating tube is formed of a suitable material which reduces heat transfer.
The present disclosure may be employed as part of a manufacturing process for the production of beverage producing systems. Additionally, the present disclosure may be manufactured as a “retro-fit” or add-on kit. As such a kit, the present disclosure would allow for existing beverage producing systems to benefit from the improved functioning of a reduced heat transfer tube.
Additional features will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of drawings, illustrative of at least one embodiment of the disclosure.